- Ann F. "Thank you for the terrific resources available through www.grammarbook.com. An appositive at the beginning of a sentence is usually followed by a comma. As in: "A mallard, a kind of duck, attacked me." #1 in Lesson Planning Bertram, a master chef, works at La Petite Restaurant. The name Mary is an appositive. Kathleen: Rather than worry about grammar topics in terms of priority, consider choosing a program that gives a good overview of the most important concepts. If you received this FREE weekly E-Newsletter from a friend, click here to have it sent to you each week. The definition of an appositive is a word or word group that defines or further identifies the noun or noun phrase preceding it.. Rule: When an appositive is essential to the meaning of the noun it belongs to, don’t use commas. Your email address will not be published. The website offers different timeline options, depending on when you start the program. #1 in Vocabulary. by Kim Kautzer | Dec 5, 2016 | Grammar & Spelling. "I enjoy reading the tips you give in your Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation." Learn how your comment data is processed. Poke around the blog! Thanks for a great post. Ella my little sister will escort you to your seat. [[firstname]], because you are a subscriber to the newsletter, you get access to one of the Subscription Members-Only Quizzes. You'll find teaching tips, activities, and hope for struggling writers. Appositives are definitely handy for adding variety to sentence structure. In English grammar, an appositive is a noun, noun phrase, or series of nouns placed next to another word or phrase to identify or rename it.The word "appositive" comes from the Latin for "to put near." Click here to take a Commas Quiz and get your scores and explanations instantly! Hi, I'm Kim! Analytical Grammar: This program is appropriate for students in grades 6 and up. Rule: When an appositive is essential to the meaning of the noun it belongs to, don’t use commas. Commas with Appositives. Appositives can be essential information or extra information. Address & Email: click here. Example: Jorge Torres, our senator, was born in California. Subscribe to emails with writing tips, special offers, product previews, and more! Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Andrea. Learn all about who and whom, affect and effect, subjects and verbs, adjectives and adverbs, commas, semicolons, quotation marks, and much more by just sitting back and enjoying these easy-to-follow lessons. You could leave out the appositive and the sentence would still convey the same thought: “A listener raised this topic.”, Now, if this podcast had only one listener, the story would be different. Phone: (909) 989-5576 The rule for appositives is that if the information is essential, you don’t use commas. 1. Don't let the length of an appositive scare you. Click here to watch. Hundreds of Additional Quizzes at Your Fingertips, Grammar, Punctuation, and Capitalization Rules, FREE Quizzes in Interactive Format with Answers and Explanations, English In A Snap: 68 One-Minute English Usage Videos FREE. Understanding grammar is a challenge for most students: Which strategy to use. Is this OK or should it be ‘Vocational counselor, Jane Smith, has agreed to help me get a job’?” Well, Mary, yes in one case but no in another. Here are a few grammar curriculum suggestions for teens who are behind (or struggling). I’m always happy to hear that. What to do when your homeschooled child lacks confidence as a writer, Needing donations for the church bake sale, the committee called. (1) So at the beginning of this episode, I said, “a listener, Mary, raised this topic.” In this sentence, the subject is “a listener.” The name Mary is an appositive. Explanation: Our senator is an appositive of the proper noun Jorge Torres. Forward this E-Newsletter to your friends and colleagues. Due to the E-Newsletter's large readership, we are unable to respond to individual English usage questions. Thanks. Commas Needed. THIS OFFER IS FREE FOR SUBSCRIBERS AND IS GOVERNED BY THIS PRIVACY POLICY. Comma rules with appositives: In most cases, commas punctuate non-restrictive appositives. Our senator is surrounded by commas because Jorge Torres is a precise identifier. 2. What would be the order of priority? When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive..